Rise of Crimson Moon
by Moon Knightress
Summary: Bruce Wayne gets his heart tested when devilish plot becomes forged against his loves soul causes him to fall into the darkness as he faces a cursed shadow from centuries old. A companion piece to Black Cats. (Slightly Mature content -Halloween 2014)


**Rise of Crimson Moon  
**

**Bruce Wayne gets his heart tested when devilish plot becomes forged against his loves soul causes him to fall into the darkness as he faces a cursed shadow from centuries old. A Halloween companion piece to Black Cats.**

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**{Prologue}**

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**Gotham-1683  
**

The waxen Harvest moon cast over the grove of trees, the sounds of a child's cries echoed into the bleak air as a pair of penetrating forest-hazel eyes stared at the shadows with intensity welling inside the beholder. Carefully he crept underneath the canopy of bush, keeping himself elusive with determination etched over his youthful features as sharp leaves scraped over his sweat-slack flesh. He kept himself focus on the soft dark haired little girl bound to the trunk of a rotting oak. His delicate lips curved into a fierce scowl as shafts of golden moonlight became captured into his piercing glower. He swallowed harshly, gathering his strength as he watched the child beginning to stir.

Quietly the boy lowered himself to the moist ground, his loose bangs draped over his eyes, his released a swallow breath, gripping his inwardly courage as he felt his blood boil inside his veins. He steady his racing heart, gazing at the enchanting cloaked figure sauntering closer to the young captive. He closed his eyes and stilled his thoughts as the sounds of rustling through the leaves jarred his attention, he turned around and met the pale green s of his childhood friend, Tobias Grey.

"Nathaniel," Tobias whispered. "You shouldn't be this far from the Manor's ground. Thou father has already called the police."

Nathaniel refused his words. There is no time, dear friend." He said in a low baritone. "She'll be dead if I don't act before..." his eyes lowered as he clenched his fist. "I should've been there to protect her. My parents trusted me to keep her safe. I failed."

Tobias shook his head. "This is not your fault, dear Nathaniel. It was nothing that thy did. We have never predicated this night." He placed an assuring hand on his friends tense shoulder. "We must let your parents handle this. Your father is on his way."

"No, dear friend." Nathaniel growled looking at the curvy figure touching his baby sister's face., "She was my responsibility. I will save her." He slightly arose from the bush. "Tell my parents that thy bringing her home."

"Nathaniel," Tobias whispered once more as he watched the eighteen old Wayne heir silently move into the shadows, heading towards the open space. "Be careful, my friend."

Nathaniel stalked through the darkness, his dark eyes gleaming with cold fury as he listened to the sordid voice of the serpentine woman whisper poison to his sister's ear. He stiffened his long jaw and took a few steps forward as the woman began a devilish incantation, placing her hand on Madeline Wayne's forehead. He suddenly froze watching a warm flow of pure life force seep out of his sister's ashen body. "Mattie," he said in a breathless voice, feeling his heart sink deeper into his whirling gut.

He stood motionless in place as he felt the blood drain from his cheeks. Finally after fighting off the waves of fright he bolt towards his sister. "Get away from her!" he bellowed loudly, it was slightly fierce and sounded foreign to his ears. "Get the hell away from my sister!"

The woman turned around, staring at him with lifeless eyes, " So the brother has come to save his dearest sister from the witch." She mocked with a sneered written over her full lips. "It doesn't matter little hero in a few more seconds her soul will be mine."

"No!" Nathaniel snarled, lunging forward, grabbing a long strand of her hair as he pushed his weight into her shapely body, sending her tumbling to the ground and smack her head against a jagged stone. His eyes flared with rage as he gritted his teeth and towered over her with a threatening poise. "How dare you!" he was breathing fire. " Invade my father's house and take my sister. Damn you." He shifted his scorching eyes at the dimming form of Mattie and tear hot tears well behind his eyes as he tried to fight his emotions. He crept forward and gazed into his sister's fading hazel eyes.

"Nathaniel," Madeline managed to say as her breath was dying. " You've come to take me home?"

Nathaniel caressed his hand softly over her icy skin. He felt his heart, his life and every fabric of his soul tearing apart as he looked lovingly into her gentle eyes. "Mattie," he sobbed, bending his head downward and pressing a warm kiss on her forehead. "I'm so sorry...if only I have stayed with you." Mattie lifted her trembling hand and pressed it against his chest.

"Will you find me, brother?" She smiled, as her eyes slowly closed. "Will you find me..."

"Yes, Mattie." Nathaniel enclosed his arms over his sister's body. "I will find you. I promise." He felt his knees give out as he crashed to the ground, not letting out of her as he listened to her last breath and then watched her head drop to her still chest. She died. His watery hazel eyes widened and mouth opened as he released a silent cry that was too great , too terrible for him to even vocalize. His head rammed into her small form and gripped his arms around her tightly as he felt the warm tears pouring out of his eyes trickle down his cheeks. He embraced his sister, as his world literally dissolved around him. "I'm sorry..."

"Youth is so refreshing to steal when it's offered to you," A eerie voice chimed behind him. "What's wrong feeling guilty that you couldn't be the hero of the night?" She laughed coldly, inching closer to the shattered young teenager. Her dark green eyes lit up as she stared him down with a look of disgust etched over flawless features.

"You ugly hag," Nathaniel seethed through his clenched teeth. "Murderer!"

"I thought a child of a Wayne would display more elegance to a stranger." She glared him down, conquering the words for a suitable incantation to curse his sorrowful body with before his parents arrive at the crime scene. "Your worthless parents will be looking for you and thy sister." She laughed with a hint of malice in her voice . "But all they find is a lifeless corpse of child in the moonlight and shadow of consuming guilt..."

Nathaniel rose from the ground, clenching his hand into a quivering fist. "I'll kill you...witch!" His body was trembling as his clothing's became drenched with cold sweat. "I will have justice for the soul of my sister that you've taken for me!"

She lifted her hand, pointing her fingers to his body. " You will have justice, child of Wayne. But in my form of it. You shall be punished to live with your eternal guilt." She circled in front of him. "You can never speak to your parents for they will think you died trying to save your dearest sister from the witch of Gotham. You will live in shadow, forever until someone embraces the curse from your worthless body."

Nathaniel looked at his lifeless sister as he felt his heart clenched in his chest, and tears slipped from his eyes as he found his guilt consume inside his soul. He turned away and glared at the witch, his expression hardening as she came closer and closer to his trembling body.

"It is time to prepare yourself Nathaniel Wayne, for you shall spend the rest of eternity wallowing in your pity."

Nathaniel stood is ground and felt the blood draining from his cheeks, "Know this thy devil of coven. You will pay for the bloodshed against Gotham's sons and daughters."

"Say goodbye to your humanity, child of Wayne, of thou shall become..." She lifted darkening gaze at a few bats hanging from the trees. "A creature that represents death and nightmares. A creature all children fear."

The ground underneath started to tremble, and Carmella began to chant out the flesh as she twisted her hands and body to the words:

_"Twist the bones and bend the back..._

_"Reduce of his baby fat.."_

_"Give him wings back as black."_

_Make him screech. Just..."  
_

_"...like..."_

_"A bat."_

The air became dense with some unseen force, and Nathaniel screamed in agony as his slowly changed as his cries go louder as Carmella cracked in triumph, "This is the form you shall remain until the worthy heir of your blood frees you from the curse of the night." she bellowed, watching the eldest of the Wayne family transform into black bat as he screeched out his sister's name before the darkness claimed him.

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The sliver of the moon reflected in the murky puddles as the stench of charred firewood blanketed through the cool October air, the young of heir of the Grey family, Tobias stood in the crowd of villagers, his pale green eyes gleamed as the glows of fire captured in his darkening pupils as he watched the Carmela Napier, the witch who took away his friends soul feel the heat of the smoldering flames rise over her slender body as he cringed at the sounds of her wailing cries bleeding in his ears as he watched his sister's murder struggle and trash as she slowly suffocate from the thickening smoke enter through her lungs.

_"Here me, sons and daughter of Gotham. On the night of the crimson moon I shall return and spill the blood your children. Mark my words...your children will pay the price of my vengeance."_

The crowd cheered out cursive words as Tobias's reminded silent,watching the murderer of Gotham's children burn into the fires as her soul became sucked into the corridors of Hell. Her charred corpse was lifted smoking on the pole as the ruby pendent around her neck was untouched. Tobias fell into a trance as shifted his curious eyes at the necklace, watching it capture the light of the full moon as a few townspeople escorted the body of Madeline Wayne to the back to heart of the Gotham for burial.

He lowered his head, as a screech from a fluttering bat drove his attention to the shadows, as he whispered under his breath, "Crimson moon."

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**{Chapter 1 : October Bliss}**

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**Vermont- Present Day**

The colors of early autumn, rich red and fiery oranges dazzled over the distant groves of the trees, the gurgling sounds of running water from nearby brooks echoed in her ears, Selina felt the chills of the wind buffed over her black trench coat as her heels crunched in the piles of leaves as she felt his hand squeezed hers affectionately, as the scorching heat of his fingers created sweat on her palms.

It had been weeks since both Bruce and her had quality time together away from the dingy streets of Gotham, they jetted away from Gotham International Airport on a private Wayne Enterprises executive jet to Manhattan and spent a few nights romancing in Central Park, the Empire State Building and the Coffee Essex's House before renting a Landrover and driving through the New England countryside. It was the perfect seven day getaway for them, and today was their final day of enjoying the blissful atmosphere before jetting back to Gotham.

She smirked, raking her dark eyes over his choice of fashion for the blissful afternoon, before they left their hotel suite he had thrown on a dark blue jeans, black sweater and a unbutton long coat.

The scenery of Vermont made Selina cherished this, happy, carefree and somber landscapes with the rich colors of the surrounding forests and the scent of ginger and wood fires blanketing in the air. She never imagined something so perfect at her grasp. She closed her eyes for a few moments and inhaled the fresh air that filled up her lungs and exhaled small compressed breaths. She was still untamed, never fully domesticated, confident, strong and free.

She rolled her eyes opened, and stared at his handsome face. He was youthful and healthy. Dark waves hair were tousled as the breeze swept up his danging bangs out of his crisp hazel eyes that were infused with contentment, understanding and fire.

He guided her to a small apple orchard surrounded by a wooded fence, never letting her fingers slip out of his hand.

She caught him staring at her, intensely serious and loving gleam in his eyes as he drank her in. She curved her red lips into a smile and he smiled back. No words were necessary.

Instead of speaking he lifted up her hand in his right hand, and bought it to his mouth for a gentle kiss. His lips brushed over her knuckles, and she looked at him with a understanding gaze before he settled her hand back down as he inched closer and pressed his forehead agaisnt hers and whispered her name with softness of lisp and richness of baritone.

Selina raced between the isles of the apple trees, her long sleek auburn hair bounced off her shoulders as she couldn't her jovial childlike smiles and laughter. She looked over her shoulder and saw him running towards her with fierce determination welled in his dark eyes.

"Catch me if you can, handsome" she teased, sinking her heels into the moist ground as she raced past the fallen apples and heard his breath closing in her. "Come on you're not even trying..." Her voice trailed as everything suddenly went quite. She did a quick turn on her heel and to her surprise he wasn't there.

Before she took another step, she heard a growling and deep voice say, "Gotcha!" He lunged directly into her, enclosed his arms around her and both them tumbled to the ground, laughing as she felt the wet grass soak into her hair. He cradled her face into his hands and smashed his lips over hers as they fell into a nourishing kiss. He lifted himself off her body, and then she watched him move casually to a row of trees. She straightened from the ground, wiping the mud off her jeans and watched him touch the plump hanging apples with powerful attraction in her eyes, checking them for bruises and imperfections.

He found one that he deemed perfect after inspecting a large number of fruit from the same tree. He plucked the red apple, the small color of her lips from the branch, and then turned back around, holding the fruit securely in his hand and walking back to where Selina waited.

When mounted his feet in front of her, Selina narrowed her eyes down at the lush fruit cupped in his hand, her lips were firm as a vivid memory skimmed through the back of her mind.

_She looked down at the eleven year dark haired boy, standing there with bewildered eyes as she pridefully smirked down at him and parted her, "Never steal anything from someone you can't out run kid." she advised._

_He stared longingly at the apple resting in her gloved palm, she heard his stomach growl and saw the desperation welled in his brown eyes._

_"Now you're gonna take it," he said, resentment in his strained voice._

_She looked down at her tempting prize, and felt her stomach grumble with emptiness. Fresh fruit was hard to come by in streets of Gotham these days. She lifted it to her mouth and took a single perfect bite. Savoring the sweetness of the juice dripping down her throat._

_"Just tax," she explained, thinking of the story Robin Hood._

_Licking her lips, she lobbed the rest of the apple back to the kid, who wasted no time absconding with just in case she changed her mind. She stuffed her hands back inside her coat's pocket and swallowed the remaining juice as she turned on her heels and stared out at the snow covered streets._

Selina blinked her eyes and stared at the shiny red skinned fruit, feeling the temptation streaming through her veins once again until she watched Bruce bring the apple to his mouth and take one simple bite as he closed his eyes a few seconds and she wondered that was he thinking during those moments of silence between them.

_He drifted to an African marketplace and sat his exhausted body against a tree, staring at dozens of tents heaped with fruit, vegetables, curried meats and a throng of colorfully clad shoppers inspecting, haggling, buying and hurrying off to feed their families._

_He had forced himself to his feet and joined the throng. He stopped by a fruit vendor, and as the old woman behind the table eyed suspiciously,he picked up a mango in his right hand and made a show of examining the fruit as with his left hand he stole a yellow plum from the table and dropped it into his tattered pocket._

_He hurried into an alleyway and bit into his plum and almost fainted at the joy-the sweetness of it, the juiciness-nothing had tasted so good. Nothing could ever taste so good._

_He heard something, the slightest stirring, and saw a child, about four, squatting in the doorway. The child, a boy, was half naked and covered with grime. His ribs stretched his skin and his eyes wide and glazed. were in hollows above his boney cheeks._

_Bruce gazed down at the half eaten plum in his fingers-he groaned slightly, hesitation to give his prize up and then he handed to the boy. "Enjoy it, kid," he muttered._

Selina was memorized, watching the piece of the apple slowly brush over his thin boyish lips as he sucked the juices and licked off the drops with his tongue. Watching his lips cover the piece of the sweet fruit made her lips turn into dark shades...and she felt carnal.

She stared at his, smooth and the color of rose satin.

"Selina," he said. "Do you want a bite?"

She taunted him, fluttering her thick lashes, he handed her the apple cupped in the palm of his sticky hand. She opened her mouth, heart skipping a few breaths as a fever started to burn inside her veins as his hand reached her mouth and she pressed her lips over his finger giving him full suction. Her teeth bit gently against his skin.

Her coffee eyes flared with hunger as she breathed in the scent of his slick body.

Bruce watched her semblance change into something deadly as she locked her eyes on his lips and she appeared to lose interest in the taste of the fruit invading her mouth.

Her tongue slopped against the side of his finger, drenching it with juicy moisture.

"I can see that you're enjoying this," he grinned, tossing the apple to the ground. "Wonder why that is, Miss Kyle?"

She didn't reply to his words, she pushed his finger in deeper inside the her mouth, flicking her tongue over it.

Bruce felt his throat slightly constrict, as she made eye contact with him, he could see dark desire pierce through her eyes. She grinned at him and pulled his finger out of her mouth as she pounced over him, knocking him off his feet and landing hard on his back. He grinned and gently arched his body slightly against her as he covered her glazed lips in a kiss. The sweet and sour taste of the apple linger in their mouths as she suck his bottom lip in her mouth and lifted his sweat up, slaying her hands over his chest as his hands hiked down the curves of her hips and tugging against the denim as she parted her legs against his abdomen.

Drops of rain started to pour down over them but they didn't seem to be distracted by the cold dampness descending over their heated bodies. Bruce tilted his head back as he felt her tongue swirling around his creating a explosion of intoxicating flavor seep down his throat as she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling greedily at his roots.

Bruce instinctively start to shift his hips against her, feeling her long hairs brush over his cheeks. He lifted her sweater up, feeling her smooth skin against his fingertips and not surprised that she didn't wear a bra today, he felt his body lurched as his hands felt the firmness of her breasts, he was aching to make her fully exposed as his hands flushed over her breasts, melting against her nipples.

Selina inhaled the salty smell leaking out of his pores, making his chest become layer with a thin sheen of it. She ghosted a purr against the crease of his chest pecks, lapping her tongue over the groves of his muscles as her hands stroked over his hips.

They shared husked voices with a few grins as Bruce shoved his hands between her legs, feeling her body shudder. They paused when they're lips were barely touching and breathed in each others air creating causing faint dizziness as he bruised her lips and messaged her tongue with his own. Then came the ignition of all senses as he poured out his hunger over her body, sucking her neck with his mouth as the fire pooled down her lower abdomen. He kissed every part of her flesh that was visible to his scorching hazel eyes and he drowned in pleasure, tasting the her on his tongue.

She felt blood buzzing in her eyes as he pushed her back into the grass, his drenched strands of hair splashed over her face as he moved faster and hungrier over her body, searing her with arouse delight as he growled down her throat forming the friction between their bodies as she rolled her eyes back feeling the tightness of him pressing against her thighs.

The drops of rain dissolved instantly on her feverish skin, as she inhaled the scent of the apples surrounding her body and felt his hands grip over her thighs. He let her take her time and caressed her neck with his lips until he felt her soft hands push his sweater further up and kneed over his scarred shoulders.

Only for a moment, he stopped and looked into the depths of her dark coffee colored eyes and felt the edges of his lips curve into a loving smile as he run his finger tenderly over her swollen lips. He pressed his sweaty forehead as hers as he felt his jeans strip down his legs and he collapsed over her slender frame, feeling her lips brush over his ear as hush voice asked him what did he want her to do. He answered by smashing his lips on her mouth and sucking the air from her lungs as he folded her body against him, and whispered softly over her wet lips,

"Do you stay a few more days, Miss Kyle?" he implored, looking feverishly in her eyes. " There's nothing really going on in Gotham." His lips bruised themselves against her neck. "I think a few days sound's fair enough."

She curled her red lips into smirk, "You read my mind, Mr. Wayne." she replied before pressing another moist kiss on his lips,as her legs straddled around his waist. "Who knows the next few days might be the best days of your life."

"Selina, everyday with you is the best day of my life." he replied, and their drenched bodies tangled together.

Neither Bruce and Selina noticed a pair of black eyes of a bat had been watching them from the shelter branch of the apple tree as he settled his solemn gaze on the young billionaire.


End file.
